CLEVELAND- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio criticized a new initiative by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) that would require those who are cited for jaywalking on Euclid Avenue to provide a government-issued photo identification or risk arrest. The new identification requirements were announced in an e-mail to students at Cleveland State University as a warning of RTA’s new policy once construction on Euclid Avenue is completed.
“RTA cannot arrest someone simply for not carrying photo identification,” said ACLU of Ohio Legal Director Jeffrey Gamso. “Pedestrians are not required to carry photo identification, and there is no mandatory government-issued identification in this country.”
“As a free society, we should be able to move about the streets of our city without being forced to ‘stop and show our papers.’ Requiring that all pedestrians carry photo identification or risk arrest undermines the very core of liberty,” added Gamso.
While police officers may ask jaywalkers to identify themselves so that they may be issued a ticket, they cannot be required to produce what they are not required to have. Requiring pedestrians to carry photo identification presents a particular hardship for poor and working class residents because many cannot afford identification.
In its e-mail to students, Cleveland State University said that RTA officials were concerned about the safety of pedestrians because new buses would not be able to stop quickly.
“It is commendable that RTA is concerned with the safety of pedestrians, but there are better ways to ensure safety than to threaten arrest for those who do not produce picture identification,” concluded Gamso. “The ability to move about our communities without having to show papers to government officials is a hallmark of a free society and Clevelanders cannot lawfully be forced to sacrifice this important liberty.”
The nonprofit, nonpartisan ACLU of Ohio’s office is located in Cleveland with community and campus chapters located throughout the state. There are almost 30,000 ACLU members and supporters in Ohio and more than 500,000 nationwide.
